THEPRP News

CHVRCHES unwittingly found themselves a hot topic among the metal world this past July when they were announced as direct support to the Deftones on the latter’s second annual ‘Dia de los Deftones‘ festival. Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jastapublicly vented on the matter, in part taking issue not only with CHVRCHES being included on the bill, but also that they are billed higher than Gojira.

This led to bit a of back and forth among Jasta and the metal community with CHVRCHES frontwoman Lauren Mayberry herself weighing in. In her reply she clarified that the Deftones had curated the festival lineup personally and that she found it important that the group were trying to “promote the idea of a diverse community.”

In a new interview with NME, Mayberry further weighed in on the matter, revealing that Gojira themselves sent CHVRCHES care package after all of the commotion. She commented of the support her band received from the metal community amid the discussion:

“I thought it was really cool because it just showed that kind of thinking in the metal community isn’t stood for any more. And Gojira actually sent us a merch package so we got a crap tonne of Gojira t-shirts. That was really nice. It reflects the community and informs the community.

I just didn’t understand. I was like, ‘That’s not what Deftones has ever been about’.”

Her bandmate Martin Doherty added:

“Who cares really? I mean, that guy. We’re living in different universes. What’s even the point in taking a swipe like that? I’ve been listening to Deftones since 1998 and they were always an alternative metal band.

I wasn’t a huge metal fan but I was a massive Deftones fan. I think that anyone who’s narrow-minded like that totally misses the point of the band, as far as I can see.”

Mayberry also went on to mention that she very nearly got a tattoo inspired by the artwork of Deftones‘ platinum selling 2000 album “White Pony” in her younger days. The second annual ‘Dia de los Deftones‘ festival will be held at Petco Park in San Diego, CA on November 02nd. You can find out more about it here.